The Belt of Truth pt. 6

The Lies the enemy feeds us and why he feeds them to us

As usually told, the story goes that Houdini, while visiting England, would regularly escape from jails as a publicity stunt. He toured many major towns and cities, and managed to escape from the town or city jail in every case. There was one exception: a police jail cell in Preston, Lancashire. Houdini tried and failed to escape. Why did he fail? Because the cell had never actually been locked in the first place! Hence he was trying to ‘unlock’ a lock which wasn’t locked!

You are alone and no one understands

Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Genesis 16:13 “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?””

1 Kings 19:10 “So he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.””

Why? He wants you to push people away and isolate. He wants you to feel abandoned by God so you don’t cry out to Him.

The enemy is stronger than you/God in you or that he isn’t powerful and doesn’t do much

1 Samuel 17:24-26 “And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid. So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.” Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?””

Why? Because He wants to intimidate you so you don’t use the authority of Jesus against Him! He’s the defeated one! Or he wants to convince you he’s not very active in your life so that you don’t try to do anything to remove him!

You will never be free/Things will never change

Ruth 1:20 “But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”

John 5:6-7 “When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.””

The Cookie Thief by Valerie Cox

A woman was waiting at an airport one night With several long hours before her flight. She hunted for a book in the airport shop Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop She was engrossed in her book but happened to see That the man beside her as bold as could be Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag between Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene She munched cookies and watched the clock As this gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by Thinking “If I wasn’t so nice I’d blacken his eye” With each cookie she took he took one too And when only one was left she wondered what he’d do With a smile on his face and a nervous laugh He took the last cookie and broke it in half He offered her half as he ate the other She snatched it from him and thought “Oh brother This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude Why he didn’t even show any gratitude” She had never known when she had been so galled And sighed with relief when her flight was called She gathered her belongings and headed for the gate Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate She boarded the plane and sank in her seat Then sought her book which was almost complete As she reached in her baggage she gasped with surprise There was her bag of cookies in front of her eyes “If mine are here” she moaned with despair “Then the others were his and he tried to share” “Too late to apologize she realized with grief” That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.